@clarke.griffin & @lance.sweets

[strove]

@clarke.griffin
Hi everyone. This is @clarke.griffin and @lance.sweets. We wanted to give everyone an update, as well as give a rundown on some things moving forward.

First off, I know some of you just made it back from the Aerie, while others have been back for a while. For anyone who hasn't heard yet, the Aerie was a separate world where everyone was brought to it and given a new life, new memories, and new relationships. It wasn't an easy place to live, and some of us have only gotten a headstart in coping with what we went through. Still, not everyone's figured out the particulars, and a lot of us just got our loved ones back.

Perhaps most importantly, while we as a group tend to have weird things happen to us, this is the first time that the entire collective world has had a shared experience like this. Many of us came from situations where we were more prepared for this than most of the population of this world. Even if you're new, I'm willing to bet that this is the case.

Being in the Aerie changed us. I believe Lance can put this better than I can, but it's important to remember that you're far from alone in any of this. I'll let him delve deeper into this now.

@lance.sweets
‘Complicated’ is not even close to a strong enough word for the situation we’ve all found ourselves in, and there’s not really any sort of established framework for how exactly to deal with it. We’re all going to be figuring this out as we go along, but there are some key points to keep in mind.

The first is to remember that, for any similarities or differences there might've been, the people we were in the Aerie are not exactly the same as we were here before, or are now. Some patience and understanding with each other will go a long way in navigating what's happened. Additionally, the way in which each of us--including the native citizens--deals with this will be different, and so it will help if everyone can remember that and have no expectations for what others might do or how they may feel, or in what timeframe those occur. There’s no right or wrong way to come to terms with everything that happened, and that includes reconciling two entirely separate lives; some may treat who they were in the Aerie as another individual entirely, some may try to blend the two, and some may prefer the person they were in the Aerie.

But as Clarke said, none of us are alone in this, and that’s something that shouldn’t just be sentiment. As difficult as it can be, reach out to others if you need help; likewise, check in on each other whenever possible. It's very easy, in the midst of something of this scale, for individuals to get lost in the chaos if there isn’t a concerted effort to make sure that doesn’t happen. On that note, we also have people here who had arrived only days before the Aerie began and so had no time to establish any sort of support network, as well as new arrivals who can’t be forgotten about in all of this.

For those of you who have just arrived, hopefully you've found the network; although you'll be anonymous until your IDs are registered, you can still participate in discussions and read through older conversations, as well as access the new arrivals guide and the information compendium, the latter of which I believe is updated but I may have missed something. It'll give you something to do as a distraction from the current situation, at least. Additionally, if you have questions or need something brought to you, someone may be able to help with that.

[Lance probably more with the former than the latter, since he's not entirely sure if he can even get into the safehouse right now and doesn't care to test it.]

@clarke.griffin
If you're looking at the arrival guide and noticing that we need some updates, they'd be welcome right now. I usually handle it, but I'm not of a mind to be able to do so at this moment. [Which will be apparent soon for a particular reason—but also, she was doing a lot in coming back from the Aerie. Clarke always has her hands full, but she also knows she has to make good on her "I delegate I don't do everything" word. See, Gene—she can commit to her nonsense.]

Finally, our group has a bar named Red Wings. Both @stephen.strange and I run the establishment, though it's going to fall mostly to me for the time being. If you would like a place to help you get started here, or even get familiarized with the world, Red Wings is a good place to get started. We offer jobs to all Displaced, and we're only staffed by Displaced, making it so that it's a place where you can settle in on your terms. [Unsurprisingly, she isn't mentioning any code of conduct or her firing someone rather publicly. No need to draw attention to it.] And if that doesn't appeal, we do give free meals (and sometimes drinks) to our own on a regular basis.

Right now, just as we've done before, Red Wings has been converted into a community center to provide outreach and resources to our community. If you come and help out, you'll still be considered an employee and paid wages for helping out.

As a note, I'll be in charge of operations for the time being. If you helped Stephen with any of his responsibilities, let me know. I could use some help. [The point being to take the onus off of Stephen. This is how they manage things.]

We believe that covers everything. We know this is a lot to digest, so please feel free to ask any questions. Lance and I are here to help.

Comments

[strove]

I asked Roy Harper first about the security around Red Wings, but we can into some issues with technology. I've broached it with others. I'm not saying to add them to your team, but you may be able to work in tandem. I do want to promise the Displaced who are concerned that we have a plan to protect them.

[batricide]

Sounds fine to me.

[lifetothefullest]

As I told you before, leading is not something I'm interested in. Drawing attention to problems and then fixing them is, but that requires leadership to be willing to listen; I know that's what you claim to be doing, but it doesn't come across that way and that's why I mentioned this looking like an unwinnable game. Maybe you don't mean for it to be, but you set parameters that are directly at odds with the actual issue itself, so as to make it impossible to succeed.

[strove]

You have to understand that when I look at the problem, those are the conditions I see. Those are the things we need to address. Sometimes short-term discomfort is a fair trade off, but as I mentioned elsewhere, my perspective on this world versus my own makes me a poor candidate for handling both sides of the situation. In that, I'd argue that I see the big picture too much and am missing things like the personal aspect. I owned up to that with someone else (though I respect that no, I didn't directly do as much in our own line of conversation).

A guarantee is something that may come with other solutions that I'm working on, but—again—making a bigger problem in the meantime isn't going to help anyone. Those solutions involve increased security and protections for our group. And they're taking time. And we have the city as a whole to consider, too, since many of us are interested in their safety, too, and us not being a problem for them.

It's a lot. It's why I need someone to answer those concerns rather than to treat it like an unwinnable game. You have to rise to the challenge and not add more problems.

[thebluewraith]

That's always the excuse—

[He only cuts himself off because, while he doesn't know her very well, Shinobu (along with Kisame) were two that he met and immediately...clicked with, for lack of a better word. Granted, for all he knows, one day he may find himself on the other end of a blade from either of them, but in a place with such few certainties and so much confusion, allies are...helpful. It would be foolish to alienate her.

And perhaps he sees her point. It's like watching Orsino and Knight Commander Meredith going at it in front of the Chantry, never reaching an agreement, escalating tension until...well.

His scowl has downgraded to a frown, at least, his arms now crossed as he watches her smile, like a ceremonial dagger — striking, elegant, but still sharp nonetheless.]

It's not as if I don't understand.

[strove]

Did you happen to see the results that came back from Riverstone? Were they surprising to you?

[strove]

I'd argue the exact opposite of all of that, but I'm not sure why I feel that way. One person doesn't prove haste, or that we were supposed to find a way out.

As for Julian, I can reach out myself. But thank you for the offer.

[strove]

I won't be bothered with it.

I just want you to know that you will be free from that place soon. We don't force anyone to stay down there longer than they'd like.

[strove]

This is more of a goal that I've had on the backburner for a while, and one that I think suits you better either way. I'll reach out to you with what I've got in mind about it later, as well as with the names of people I've spoken to about it.

[halfbloodhatchling]

By longer than 'they'd' like, do you mean those of us who are here, or those who led us here?

[strove]

You. But I understand that with it seeming as if you can't trust it ending, that it's a bit of a callous way to put it. The turn around process is this way because it takes time.

[lifetothefullest]

It helps people know they're not alone, and that they're not unreasonable for being upset, and that someone cares about the position they're in. That's what I was doing, which you took issue with because apparently just discussing it is some sort of attack.

I appreciate that you think I can somehow manage to do all of this alone, but I can't, and so talking to people who have the same objections is the first step in figuring out how to fix it. You can't be angry with me for doing that, and then also for not having come up with a plan yet. If you want me--or anyone else--to think that there's a way to actually succeed in doing this the way you want, then you should try not to make it seem like the exact opposite is the case.

[strove]

Thank you, Ren.

[halfbloodhatchling]

It's also not true. I'm already here longer than I'd like to be.

I don't need to be caged in order to lay low.

[cognitivus]

If you're only keeping consistency for the record and because you haven't asked anybody if they're willing to volunteer, you're dismissing our very real distress simply because it's inconvenient.

In terms of long term results, you're alienating a significant number of your new population. So long as this continues, the more people who arrive that are immediately disenfranchised, the higher the percentage of your population will harbor distrust or resentment over time.

If your goal is to foster unity, you should start with a good first impression. As it stands, this has been a particularly bad one for several of us, and for reasons you can't even begin to understand. Reasons that are big enough that dismissing them offhand is causing irreparable damage between those people and your leadership team.

As long as that door has the ability to open, what's done only continues to be done because you're willing it to be.

[strove]

I know. Neither do I. It's not a cage, nor is it meant to be one.

[halfbloodhatchling]

I can't get out.

[strove]

Just so it's clear, I don't maintain the safehouse. Many others are the ones who add supplies, keep it clean, or even help Gaby. Not me. I'm simply a name on the deed. Any objections raised started with Lance a couple months ago. Prior to this, people didn't have a problem because there was always some assurance in getting loose.

I haven't noticed long-term harbored distrust or resentment for reasons other than my personality. For whatever it's worth. You're citing a problem that hasn't been one. Again, I didn't come up with this plan myself, but we decided to keep the safehouse going as a group. That group has had some turnover, but some of us are still here and see the value in a safespace for people like us upon arrival.

I've never dismissed your concerns, however. I'm communicating with you on them. But I won't take kindly to discussing them at length as being seen as "dismissing them." Telling you the circumstances that we have at this exact moment isn't dismissing them. It's also not up to me to come up with every solution for the Displaced. To repeat: objections to this process and seeing it as a jail were only raised by Lance recently, and I can't help but think that his objections have helped foster problems and distrust despite the rest of us trying to do our best by the other Displaced. If anything, I'd argue that's unfair.

I've gone over why this is the way it is, and why we need a plan in place to replace this process. I'm sorry you see that as dismissing the overall concern, or that I've shaken your trust for any reason. But just because I'm arguing in favor of a system that's worked for us doesn't mean I can't see a new one put into place. Those two things aren't absolutely opposed.

[strove]

Lance, you're not helping them feel as if they have a friend. You're giving them an enemy.

I'm not telling you not to crowdsource it. But I am telling you to come up with a plan through listening to everyone, including myself. Especially if you insist on causing problems with it to the point that Morningstar had to lock you out.

[lifetothefullest]

You're wrong, but I don't expect you to see that.

And as I said, I've already been doing that, so you can stop acting as though I can't figure out how problem-solving works any time now.

[strove]

Then let's go to a concise heart of this discussion: stop creating more problems before you solve the old one.

[strove]

If it were a different space and you were still trapped, would you still see it as a cage?

[lifetothefullest]

Again, creating problems and bringing to light issues that already exist are two entirely separate things.

[halfbloodhatchling]

It's the trapped part I have a problem with, yes.

[strove]

Except that that's not what you were doing, but it may be best for us to agree to disagree.